£1,000

36 backers

35 days

Project by

New stretch target

If I've made it this far I'm going to be eternally grateful to everyone who has pledged so far and really don't expect it to go any further however if it's possible I'd like to raise another £500.

The money raised so far will cover my flight and accomodation, with any additional funding I will be able to cover the race costs, insurance and the full British Age Group kit.

Project aim

I have qualified for the Age Group World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Chicago and I need your help to get me there!

About the project

I'm a father, teacher and triathlete trying to inspire my children, students and anyone one else who will listen to not accept limitations and to believe that if you want something enough you can make it happen.

A little bit about me, in 2002 whilst on a University ski trip I fracture my spine in three places, I was lucky not to be paralysed and after some excellent care from the French doctors I left hospital with a sizeable chunk of metal holding my spine in place.

Up to this point I hadn't been overly sporty and certainly wasn't competitive. I realised though, to avoid further injury and to improve my physical condition enough so that I could live a normal life I had to do regular exercise.

The next turning point was in 2005, whilst surfing back at home I had a particularly bad wipeout where a wave landed in the center of my back, I heard a loud crack as I was bent backwards in the wrong direction. I managed to cling to my board and get washed in.

It turned out that I had snapped the brace that was supporting my spine, however this wasn't identified straight away. It wasn't until a year later that it was finally discovered and removed. That year I had applied to run the London marathon as it was something on my bucket list. I came out of hospital in November 2006 and had the 'Congratulations you're in' magazine lying on my bed.

I decided to set myself a personal goal to get round the 26.2 mile course the following April, giving me 5 months to go from just about able to walk to the end of my drive to be able to run a marathon!

I trained myself over the winter but because of the impact of running I had to be careful not to cause myself serious injury. I managed this by doing a variety of different types of exercise, including swimming, cycling and strength and conditioning work.

That April I managed to get around the marathon in a respectable 4 hours 37 minutes. After the marathon I felt I needed to do something with the fitness I had managed to gain and Triathlon felt like the natural step.

Since then I have raced every distance of triathlon from Sprint to Ironman. I managed to qualify for the Age Group Sprint Team in 2012 and raced in Auckland, New Zealand. At the time qualification was my aim and to race amongst some of the best age groupers in the world was brilliant.

This year is different, my aim is to go out and place in the top 15 in my age group. For this to happen I need your help, age group racing is unsupported, we have to pay our own way, including kit, travel and accommodation. The amount I'm aiming to raise is about half of the overall cost. With your help I will be able to show my daughters and students that hard work and determination never goes unrewarded and if you want something enough you will always find a way of making it happen.

As a Personal Trainer and trained Sport Massage Therapist my rewards include the use of some of these skills, I'm able to write exercise plans, give you advice and guidance including running analysis and give sports massage

Rewards

Get £5 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

6 backers so far

Get £10 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

10 backers so far

Get £10 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Also a chance to join me in the Street area for a training run, including training advice if wanted and a coffee.

4 backers so far

Get £25 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

6 backers so far

Get £25 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Also a chance to join me in the Street area for a training ride with coffee and cake.

0 backers so far

Get £50 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

3 backers so far

Get £50 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Also a sports massage from myself (I'm fully qualified) within a 15 mile radius of Street.

1 backer so far

Get £50 reward

A very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Also a months training programme (could be weight loss or sports performance related) personalised to your ability and availability.

3 backers so far

Get £100 reward

Your company logo on my GBR kit alongside a very big public thank you spread far and wide on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!